The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which may be unique on their own.
In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in a single logical database. Typically, data is retrieved from and stored to the database using the computing systems or devices of the user. For example, a user system might remotely access one of a plurality of servers that might in turn access the database. The user may issue a query to the database in order to retrieve data. The database processes the query and returns to the user information from the database that is relevant to the request. The retrieval of accurate information and subsequent delivery of this information to the user system in a timely and efficient manner has been and continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems.
In a multi-tenant database system (“MTS”), however, various elements of hardware and software of the database may be shared by one or more customers. The notion of “cloud computing” allows service providers to offer access to hardware/software systems through a network, such as the Internet. For example, a specified application server may simultaneously process requests for many different customers, and a specified database table may likewise store data for many different customers.
In the MTS environment, customers demand up-to-date, comprehensive data. For example, sales and marketing organizations need accurate and up-to-date contact information in order to maintain good relations with existing customers as well as solicit leads for new customers. Unfortunately, conventional databases rely on individuals to maintain their own contact information, and therefore, even within a single organization, individuals may have inconsistent and/or inaccurate contact information.
An advantage of the MTS system is that business enterprises may share data resources, and rely on the MTS provider to maintain accurate up-to-date data, such as personal and/or business contact information. Another advantage is that all personnel within a single enterprise have access to the exact same contact information, so that inaccuracies or inconsistencies within the organization no longer exist. Yet another advantage is that the MTS system can provide value-added services to enhance the data stored as contact information in the MTS contact database. For example, one type of information that is commonly missing from contact databases is the rank and/or department for a business contact, i.e., some indication of the person's place in the corporate hierarchy. Such information can be very useful, for example, in marketing efforts. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques in the database for determining the organizational hierarchy, i.e., rank and/or department, from contact data.